Preliminary identification
Photo reference
1 uploaded photo
Overview
This is a tabletop multi-drawer chest or spice cabinet featuring twelve drawers clad in repoussé and chased sheet brass over a wooden carcass. Each drawer face is adorned with hand-embossed scrolling foliate and floral motifs, accented with heavy brass ring-pull hardware and secured with brass tacks.
Story
Centuries of Indian metalworking traditions inspired these tabletop spice and apothecary chests. Hand-hammered sheet brass wrapped around local hardwood created functional art for export during the mid-century bohemian design boom.
Maker / Origin
While produced by unrecorded artisan workshops in metalworking hubs like Moradabad or Rajasthan, India, pieces like this represent generations of inherited metal-craft traditions. Regional guilds specialized in sheet-metal cladding, metal chasing, and repoussé decoration, transitioning in the mid-20th century to create decorative storage items for global trade.
Condition & Value
Displays honest vintage wear with a natural aged patina and minor surface tarnish across the brass. Drawer faces show slight warping or softness to the thin metal edges typical of hand-cladding, but all 12 drawers and matching ring pulls appear present and intact. This gentle, authentic patina enhances its decorative appeal.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
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Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.